Our suffering is often exacerbated by our relationship to it and to life. Our minds and thoughts, in fighting against what is here now, create suffering within us.

I think people often turn to spiritual paths as a means to end suffering, with the expectation that circumstances which can breed suffering will cease to exist. The spiritual path can help point us to a more conscious, empowered, means to move through the suffering where we have better tools in our pack to meet it. But it will not magically make suffering disappear. Life will still happen. You will still be human. Circumstances will arise.Our tendency is to fight against suffering, pushing it away, when we are confronted with the experience. Rather than meeting the initial occurrence, we fight and this fight compounds the suffering. This fight often leads are minds to create more hypothetical situations around the instance, making us go even more crazy. A great deal of our suffering lies in this fight.

If we are to meet a troublesome experience squarely, look at it with as much equanimity as we can muster at the time, we can forgo a lot of the unnecessary unease. This will also lead to us dealing with the actual situation more soundly and effectively. I know that it can be hard have equanimity when presented with trying situations, but this is a practice. Practice mindfulness and presence in the easy times, and it will be easier to have it when you need it most.

Scott Goolsby, Philosopher, yoga lover, life coach, teacher of applied spirituality and nonduality, living and loving life in rural Idaho.

Since I was a child, spirituality has been one of the most important components of my life. It brings a deeper meaning and peace to who and what I am and to how I engage with the world. A deeply felt spirituality infuses my normal, mundane life with meaning, uncovering the sacred in the present moment. This brings a sense of peace, liberation, ease, and bliss to our everyday lived experience.

Traditionally, spirituality was believed accessible only to deeply religious individuals, societal renunciates living as monks, or to those who hold traditional religious beliefs and attend church or temple weekly. I disagree with this belief. Spirituality is practical and can be applied to the normal, every day life of anyone. We can all embrace life as it is and connect with our own intrinsic goodness that is here, now, in the moment. Our spiritual connection does not need to be relegated only to temples, yoga mats, or Sunday afternoon church services. Its power is so great and profound that the benefits can be embraced in each facet of our lives.

I have experienced the transformative power of spirit and presence so strongly that I have studied the world’s spiritual traditions for over 20 years and have sought a PhD in Philosophy of Religion. I am creating a way for those looking for a more profound life through spiritual awareness to find it. The ease, contentment, balance, and happiness that can be found via spirituality can be accessed by anyone. I help the CEO to know that he or she can have a more powerful relationship with him or herself and their family because they were able to slow down and see a greater interconnectedness between themselves and the world. I show the working mother with three children how she can find balance and equanimity with her job and home life. I illustrate to everyone how they can look into the eyes of another and see their sacred self smiling back.

Our life situations can be full of stress, worry, and discomfort. I am here to help you find inner contentment, balance, and assist you in uncovering the veil that lies between you and seeing your every day world as sacred. You are already whole and complete and have everything that your mind, body, and spirit need to be fulfilled and liberated emotionally and spiritually. I will help you by pointing you to the beauty and power within you so that you will experience the greatest equanimity and peace this world has to offer.

Please contact me at [email protected] if you would like more information or to set up an appointment.

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The 5 most important life lessons I learned from an unexpected 2 year sabbatical

“People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills . . . There is nowhere that a person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind. . . . So constantly give yourself this retreat, and renew yourself.”